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Luzerne County probation officers are among the last in the state to be permitted to carry firearms for their protection, according to state statistics.

President Judge Thomas F. Burke Jr. issued an order Tuesday allowing field probation officers to carry pistols after they are trained and certified.

According to the state County Probation and Parole Officers' Firearm Education and Training Commission, which trains officers in firearm safety, 52 counties - 78 percent of the state's 67 counties - already allow adult or juvenile probation officers, or both, to carry firearms.

That equates to about 1,200 officers across the state who are permitted to carry - and that number is going up, Executive Director Todd Burns said.

"It's been going up for years and years," Burns said. "We're not having armed counties becoming unarmed counties."

Court Administrator Michael A. Shucosky said officials here felt the move was needed now because of "numerous" threats to officers, along with an incident in which an unarmed probation officer, Charles Majikes, helped police seeking a gunman at the Sherman Hills Apartments.

"It's become increasingly apparent that our parole/probation officers, by the nature of what they do, go to high crime areas at odd days and hours, and we were just frankly concerned for their safety," Shucosky said. "It is a sad day for our community when you have to do this kind of stuff."

Plans call for between 40 and 44 officers to be armed with weapons they will openly carry, he said. The startup cost is between $1,000 and $1,500 per officer, he said.

They will first have to get a psychological evaluation and then undergo safety and marksmanship training from instructors at the sheriff's office. The Firearm Education and Training Commission would certify them to carry the weapons, he said.

The county would own the weapons, and officers will not be permitted to buy their own, he said. Officers will not be permitted to take the weapons home.

Officials are gathering input from local police to determine what type of weapon is best for accuracy, compactness and ease of use, he said. It will likely be months before the county can arm the officers and get them fully trained, he said.

Robert W. McCullough III, executive director of the County Chief Adult Probation & Parole Officers' Association of Pennsylvania, said his group recommends officers be armed for their safety. He noted many departments use the same equipment police officers use.

"Many of the counties conduct not only office visits but also field work - visiting people at their residence and place of business," he said.

State law created the training commission in 1994, mandating that every adult convicted of an offense be assessed a $5 fee to fund it. As a result, training is free, although individual departments have to cover travel and ammunition, Burns said.

The basic training is 52 hours and consists of classroom time followed by training on a firing range, with additional training required each year, he said.

The program seeks to give officers the training needed to do their jobs more safely.

"You're dealing with people who have violated the law at some point to get in the position that they're in," Burns said. "In my opinion, anytime you have arrest power and you're carrying a badge, you need all the tools for officer safety."

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com 570-821-2058, @cvjimhalpin

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